


What They Hope to Find

by darkest



Series: EqG: Mosaic of Love [3]
Category: My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Angst, Closeted Character, Depression, Drama, Drug Use, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fraught Romance, Frustrating Character Choices, Melodrama, Multi, Multiple Partners, Open Relationships, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, alcohol use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23065348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkest/pseuds/darkest
Summary: Applejack has had her romantic hopes crushed, and in the wake of that struggles with home and school life. Sunset Shimmer pushes herself to redeem for past mistakes but is plagued by financial trouble and the unwanted attention of mob boss, Grogar. In the midst of all this, people still depend on them.When Sunset suggested to AJ that they spend more time together, it was with the hope of helping Applejack overcome her grief--and maybe staving off her own loneliness was an added bonus. But when the pressure reaches an all-time high, a line is crossed... feelings ignite... and confusion abounds. Things can never be the same.And maybe that's a good thing.====This is a "detached" story arc from my FlutterDash fic, What They Expect to Give. That means this isn't complete without reading the other work. If you try reading this first, this will not make sense to you.Prepare for lots of painful mistakes and frustratingly bad choices. Because I like my romance with an extra side of melodrama and angst.*Prologue is based during Chapter 24 and 25 of What They Expect to Give. Chapter one picks up on the same day as Chapter 26.
Relationships: Applejack/Sunset Shimmer (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
Series: EqG: Mosaic of Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1657627
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to this strange little spin-off.
> 
> I debated a lot on whether to keep this within What They Expect to Give. Ultimately, I decided that no one wanted their FlutterDash interrupted by a rare pair subplot. But I still wanted to write this story, so I settled on this. For my full thoughts, please read my blog about it on FimFiction: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/887151/sunjack
> 
> It's not necessary, but I also recommend checking out my Applejack prequel: hearts, deep in their hiding places. You can find it on the Mosaic of Love series page. That can be found at https://archiveofourown.org/series/1657627

Sunset emerged from the portal, stumbling. It didn’t matter how many times she traveled through the dimensional gateway, she never could seem to keep her footing. At least this time she hadn’t face-planted into the cement. The mirage spells would conceal her embarrassment, but they wouldn’t protect her wounded pride.

She stepped away from Canterlot High’s iconic horse statue, casting a look over her shoulder at it as the other protective spell barriers slid over her, buzzing with arcane power. Thanks to Princess Twilight, she’d been able to enshroud the portal in a ring of wards that kept other students and passerby from “accidentally” entering it. It was good to know that principals Celestia and Luna were also actively protecting it. Despite this, Sunset still worried the portal would be discovered.

Especially these days.

She looked up and down the street with an anxious bite of her lip, her eyes keen to pick out anything that seemed out of the ordinary. All she saw was a woman walking her dog down one way. An elderly man watering his lawn down the other.

Sunset allowed the breath she’d been holding to escape.

Grogar had been trying to discover the source of her gold for years now. In the last few months, his efforts had tripled, along with his demands. She’d taken great care to keep the various portal locations secret, and she never used the same portal twice.

These days, she was constantly being followed. No matter how many tails she shook, there were always new people. It felt neverending. Sometimes Grogar’s men followed her even when she wasn’t on the job for him.

This latest errand had been taxing. It was true that Princess Twilight and Celestia supplied her with a steady supply of bits to fund her research and magic containment efforts, but she didn’t have the heart to explain to them that their money needed unsavory channels to be laundered into something she could actually _use_ in this world. 

She also didn’t have the heart to ask for more from them. It had been a trial just to get the stipend she received from them _now_. Asking for a raise would just mean jumping through more bureaucratic hoops. Princess Celestia had a great deal of say in the kingdom, but she was not an absolute ruler. There were checks and balances, especially when it came to money. 

Sunset already felt like enough of a bother. It was _her_ fault magic was in this world to begin with. Some things she really just needed to handle on her own. That meant getting odd jobs to satisfy Grogar’s greed.

In the beginning, the stipend had been sufficient. Sunset could afford an apartment, food, clothes, her motorcycle payments, and there was still enough to meet Grogar’s laundering fees. Now…?

Her apartment was gone. She hadn’t bought new clothes or shoes in over two years. Thankfully, her motorcycle was paid off, but she’d already had to suffer through an awful repair bill, and the frequent servicing fees were a strain. Not to mention the credit card debt she was _still_ trying to pay off from her more irresponsible days.

Sunset Shimmer adjusted her messenger bag, which was clinking with bags of bits. She still cast furtive looks around her as she walked to her motorcycle, parked just two blocks away. She pulled out a phone from her pocket. It wasn’t her usual cell phone, the one she used for school and friends. It was her throwaway, a simple pay-as-you-go device with minimal features.

Sunset opened her text thread with Grogar.

**> SSh: Got wat u want. B there in 15**

‘There’ being Tambelon. She stared at the screen, waiting for a response. It came quick.

**> G: Excellent. Bray will meet you.**

Her lip curled. Bray was like a rash—ugly, irritating, and hard to get rid of. But at least this latest hurdle was over with. After this business was over, she’d even have the rest of the day to rest before school tomorrow.

Sunset slowed to a stop next to her motorcycle, her eyes tensing.

She pulled out her throwaway cell again and opened her contacts. Besides Grogar, there were six other names listed. She bit her lip. Who was she in the mood for?

Then as if one of them had read her mind, she received a text message.

**> K: U free?**

Sunset’s heart jumped a little. Kojote. It’d been months she’d last heard from him, the longest since they’d first hooked up. She’d wondered if it was finally time to delete him from her list. Apparently, he wasn’t done with her.

She was equal parts relieved and dismayed. 

She tapped out a curt reply.

**> SSh: for what?**

**> K: u know what**

She did, and she was up for it. So very, very up for it. Especially when faced with the prospect of staring at her textbooks for what was left of her Sunday, trying and failing to fend off thoughts of her troubles. She needed something to pound the stress out first. Something big, stiff, and hard. Preferably in several go arounds, and she knew Kojote could do it. _Would_ do it.

But she still remembered how they’d parted ways last time, with him abandoning her at the theaters. Making him squirm on the hook felt necessary.

**> SSh: gee i dunno. Might go see a MOVIE tonite**

**> K: ouch... I deserved that. but i kno ur stressed**

**> SSh: and how do u kno that?**

**> K: cuz u always r. c’mon lemme help u relax. i’ll make up for last time**

She arched an eyebrow, but the corners of her lips were twitching up.

**> SSh: buy me lunch, and maybe**

**> K: of course. Plz liebling, i need u**

Sunset snorted at this last message, even as her heart rate picked up. He only ever used German when he was trying to wheedle her. 

They weren’t in love. They weren’t even in a closed relationship. Besides Grogar, any of the other names on her throwaway’s contact list would do for some carnal distraction that afternoon.

But for all his carelessness, Kojote was easily her favorite lover.

**> SSh: give me 1 hour**

She put her phone away and climbed onto her bike. It was noon. She had time to spare.

Precisely what she hated.

* * *

Applejack got Rainbow Dash’s invitation for the party. She ignored it, unwilling to even bother with a generic response.

Besides, she had her hands full.

“Apple Bloom, you’re staying and that’s that!” she shouted. Her hands were on her hips, a skillet of chicken and peppers sizzled on the stove next to her. Lunch for the day.

Her sister glared, her face matching her hair. “But _why?_ ”

“I already told ya why!” Applejack pointed out the kitchen window, towards the orchards. “This order’s gotta get done today! Ain’t no other way around it. Everything takes second place till this gets done, y’hear? You can hang out with your friends later!”

Apple Bloom slammed the edge of her fist against the wall, making the family photos rattle in their old picture frames. “This is unfair!” she shrieked.

Applejack sighed as she watched her sister storm out the front door. “Yeah? Well life ain’t fair,” she muttered. She sidled away from her cooking, checking the place where her sister had struck. No holes this time. Ever since Apple Bloom started getting into fights, it seemed she was more given to violent outbursts. Just another worry to go atop of all the other worries.

“She’ll get there, Applejack. You’ll see,” Granny Smith assured her from the living room. She looked small and frail in the big recliner. “In the meantime, all her buckin’ is normal. Shucks, you did the same to me when you was young!”

Applejack crossed her arms, her gaze darkening. “Granny, I ain’t middle-aged or nothin’!” Her lip pouted. “Shoot! I’m a teenager, too! Or did everyone forget?”

“Shhh! My soap’s back on!” Granny said with a frantic wave of her liver-spotted hand, her eyes already glued to the television.

The country girl clenched her teeth and returned to the stove. Her food was starting to burn.

“When was the last time I got to act my age, huh?” She said through a tight jaw. “For once I’d like to just do what I want and damn the consequences!”

She glared down into the skillet as the sliced peppers turned black at the edges.

Almost inaudibly, she breathed, “It’s not like playing by the rules made me any happier…”

* * *

Kojote was a tall, slim, well-cut fellow with sandy brown hair that fell into his perpetually hungry brown eyes. He thrust into her savagely, his fingers digging into her hips hard enough to leave marks. The way his cock filled her… it was like she turned into mewling prey beneath him with every lancing entry, his girth and length not just respectable, but _worshipful_.

This was where she came apart, aching and crazed.

Sunset Shimmer was elated to let go, if just for a few hours. She told herself she’d needed this. Believed it with every sweet collision of their glistening bodies in Kojote’s flat. He squeezed her tits, snarling, and she whimpered, loving the bite of his strong hands into her soft flesh. She let her eyes slip ravenously over his rippling chest, abs, and obliques, their definition stark where the glare of the sun fell over him through the skylight, casting him in a strange glow.

He was perfect. Too perfect.

Driven by sudden malice, she reached out and raked her nails over his sweaty abdomen, hard. He gasped. Grabbed her wrists and slammed them over her head, then pound into her so hard the entire bed slammed into the wall.

Sunset shouted in pleasure, her wet pussy squeezing over his cock as the man drove into her again and again. 

Their first fuck that afternoon had been sloppy and starved, two lovers meeting together after too long apart. The second fuck was sleepy and searching, hands roaming, awakening their minds again to their purpose. The third fuck was heated, verging on competitive, as it always was. It was a fight to see who would come away with the last scraps of dignity, the victor being the one who kept their head in the end.

She usually lost. Didn’t mind losing. It was the _struggle_ that satisfied her, not the outcome. This was a way to blow off steam and forget about things for a while.

Kojote, breathing raggedly, drew closer, his eyes staring deep into hers. Their noses nearly touched… but never did either of them close in for the kiss.

They had the same rule for all their lovers. No kissing allowed. It just muddled what they really wanted from each other.

Distraction.

When Sunset came, it was with teeth bared, her hips bucking defiantly into Kojote’s. The electrifying release felt good, but it burned. Several hard climaxes in a short span of time tended to do that. 

Kojote came not long after, his eyes rolling shut and his body clenching. He sat back, his head lolling to the side and his chest heaving. Sunset raised herself up on her elbows as the fog of lust lifted from her head. She tried to find his eyes, but the man was already looking away as he pulled out. He rolled to the edge of the bed where he usually kept his glass of water and chugged it, his back to her.

Sunset gazed at him, quiet. She reached out a hand… stopped. Slowly slid it back. She rolled away, one arm tucked under her head. She heard him get up and walk away. Probably to go to the bathroom.

When it was clear there would be no after-sex conversation this time, she sat up and scooted to the edge of the king size bed. She grabbed her cellphone, and was surprised to see she’d missed a message from Rainbow Dash.

**> R: Hey guys! Me, Flutters, Pinks, & Rares r at this shindig @ my VC’s house. She said u guys r welcome! We’re probz gonna b here a long while so come over if u can**

Sunset bit her lip. That had been a while ago. Was there even a point in showing up so late?

The alternative was going to the dorm and doing some studying. Alone.

Her hearing perked to the sound of the shower starting. If she stayed much longer, Kojote would start hinting that he had other things to do.

Sunset looked back at her phone, thinking. Then she typed:

**> SSh: I’m pretty tired, but I can stop by 4 a few. Dunno when I’ll get there. I’m sure u got questions**

Now that she’d had a nice good fuck, Sunset felt more even tempered. Less anxious. If there was ever a time to field Rainbow’s no doubt _thirsting_ curiosity, it was now. She wasn’t sure if she’d have the resolve to keep from snapping if she waited till later.

She stood and hurried to get dressed. She’d take a shower back at the dorm. It would’ve been nice to bathe here, but the truth was, she wasn’t welcome to.

* * *

Applejack stared at the last remaining apple crates sitting on the tractor’s wagon bed. These were to be loaded onto the shipping truck and taken to a third party processing center. The heavy wooden crates were large, coming up to her chest and as wide as four of her. They needed to make this order before nightfall, or else their shipment would have to wait until tomorrow. That meant the apples would get to their customer a day late. She couldn’t let that happen again.

This was why she told Rainbow Dash she couldn’t go to her party. She was working. She really, really was.

AJ looked around the loading yard, sweat beading on her skin. “Big Mac, is anyone else ‘round here?”

Her brother was climbing back out of the truck carriage, a clipboard with the order’s paperwork in his hand. He shrugged, his eyes turned down at the documents.

Applejack pursed her lips. “Well can ya _look?_ Check the other side of the truck! I’ll check over here.”

Big Mac grumbled, shooting her a scowl, but he did as asked.

She shook his head at him before turning and walking briskly to the other end of the yard. Her green eyes scanned the neighboring treeline, trying to pick out movement. She saw no one.

When she returned to the crates, Big Mac was coming around the end of the truck bed. At her questioning look, he shook his head.

 _Good_. 

She clapped her hands and rubbed them together, her muscles flexing under her long-sleeved shirt. “Keep an eye out, would ya? I’ll have these crates loaded in a jiffy.” Her brother grunted in response.

Closing her eyes, Applejack turned her mind’s attention to the power inside of her. Each of their friends had a special way of activating their power. Hers relied on spoken word—particularly those truths not easily uttered.

“I wish Fluttershy was mine.”

She said this low, hoping her brother didn’t hear. Her eyes flickered to him anxiously as the magic erupted over her skin, flashing in brilliant white. Just before the light blinded her, she was relieved to see Big Mac had turned away from her, years of seeing Equestrian magic having dulled his interest.

When the light was gone, her hair had become longer, reaching to her knees. Her pony ears strained against the underside of her hat brim, and she pushed this up to give them more room.

Eyes glowing with arcane power, Applejack gripped the lip of an apple crate and slid it slowly off the wagon bed. When the crate had come out far enough that she could fit a whole hand underneath it, she stooped down and lifted it carefully, up and out, pulling the crate into a position where she could crouch beneath it and finally heft it up.

Physics said that, even with her prodigious strength, the mass of the crate in motion, plus the poor stability provided by her hands, should’ve meant that the apples toppled over onto the ground. Instead, the magic kept the crate steady on her flat palms, allowing her to carry the crate overhead like it were nothing. She carried the apples to the truck bed and set them down. The truck axles creaked as this sudden massive weight was laid upon it.

Just when Applejack turned to fetch another crate, her phone chimed. She ignored it and started to pick up another crate. Her phone chimed again. Growling, she returned the crate and pulled out her phone.

Text messages from Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle. Something had happened with Pinkie Pie at Rainbow’s party, and they wanted to have a sit down with all of their friends. Twilight’s text was almost formal in how it requested her appearance. But Sunset’s…?

**> SSh: AJ plz come. Plz?**

Applejack stared at the text like it was a decree of execution.

Her mouth went dry, but her palms turned sweaty. The magic faded from her, leaving her feeling weak and depleted.

To Sunset Shimmer, she texted:

**> AJ: is it really that bad? Kinda busy**

**> SSh: i kno, i’m sorry, but we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think it was important**

Applejack’s lips thinned. Sunset’s idea of ‘important’ was seldom a waste of time.

**> AJ: ok. I’ll be there as soon as i can**

She slipped the phone into her pocket, and tried to turn her mind back to her magic. She still needed to finish loading these crates.

“I ain’t afraid to see ‘em together.”

Applejack stared at the crate, waiting for the magic transformation to happen.

It didn’t.


	2. Reaching out

Applejack was pretty certain her Farm Business Management course was going to be the death of her. All those damn charts and spreadsheets… She wondered if Granny Smith had ever bothered with even half of what she was learning. Even Ma and Pa had only graduated from community college.

_I just_ had _to be the special one._

She sighed as she exited the Ag Tech building, her body mindlessly following the stream of her fellow classmates before she realized she had exited on the wrong side.

Applejack sucked at her teeth with annoyance and tugged her hat down hard, but she continued walking along the pale concrete path right up to the building’s landscaped sign, and there she made a hard right.

“See you, cowgirl!” Someone hollered behind her.

She looked back quickly to see Ace High waving at her with a massive grin on his cinnamon face. He was a tall boy, broad in the shoulders, with cracked cowboy boots, faded dirty blue jeans, and a white tee that seemed to strain to contain his blue-collar muscles. A friend he was walking with ruffled his mop of black hair, and he shoved at them, blushing, before looking back at Applejack with a sheepish grin.

She allowed for a pursed smile and waved back, but increased her walking speed.

Ace High had been making eyes at her for weeks after a presentation she’d given about her family’s business. He’d even invited her to a party, but she’d refused. To her dismay, that hadn’t dampened his efforts in the slightest.

Sometimes, Applejack really hated being in the closet.

It was a comfortable place, though. A safe place. If she was going to be the new head of the family, that meant she couldn’t put their livelihood at risk. Coming out as a lesbian was sure to do that, and she just didn’t have the confidence she could ensure the farm’s survival under those circumstances.

_Not like I can be with the one I want anyway…_ she thought glumly.

Applejack rounded the corner of the building and veered off the path across the manicured lawn. It was lunchtime, and as usual she’d brought her own food… But before she felt like she could sit down to eat, she needed to tend to a niggling need.

Within a few minutes, Applejack had reached College Drive. She looked up and down the busy road furtively, before making a mad dash between the break in cars. Campus speeds were slow, so she wasn’t worried about getting hit. She was more concerned about getting caught jay-walking by a campus monitor again.

Any other day and she would have taken the time to cross at the crosswalk, but she was antsy today. Her mind was turbulent with thoughts of last night, when she’d met with her friends. Pinkie Pie had suffered an unimaginable loss that cut AJ to the quick. Not solely because she cared deeply for Pinkie, but also because…

_Cuz I dunno if I’ll ever be a mother myself._

This bothered her more than she dared to admit. Oh, she was perfectly aware there were many ways to become a mother. She just wanted to do it _with_ a partner. The longer time wore on...the less hope she had this would ever be possible.

_Stop moping_. She scolded herself with a scowl. _You ain’t got no place feeling sorry for yourself after what Pinkie’s been through!_

She neared parking lot LL, out near the squat Automotive Center. Behind the building was a small lawn area. In it was a large elm tree, and next to it, a picnic table.

Seated there were two familiar faces, Torque and Chassis, both dressed in beige work overalls. She’d met them her freshman year, and they’d been friends since. They had even helped her fix her truck more than once.

Chassis saw Applejack first. Her face lit up under her strawberry blonde bangs and she raised a hand in greeting. Between her index and middle fingers was a lit cigarette. “Yo, AJ! Sup?”

Torque turned his dark spiky-haired head with a curious blink, a cigarette pinched between his lips. “Oh? What’s our favorite cowgirl doing over here so early? Don’t you usually eat in your truck first?”

“Not today,” she huffed, a little winded for having speed-walked the whole way. She set her bag down on the grass next to the table, then pulled out her own pack of cigarettes. “Needed a fix real bad.”

“Rough day, huh?”

“Try a damn week,” she mumbled around the cigarette filter. She struck her lighter on and lit the tip. Even just the starting puffs helped the tension in her shoulders to ease a bit.

Applejack closed her eyes and exhaled hard through her nostrils, smoke streaming toward her boots. It was a bad habit, she knew. She promised herself she’d quit.

Maybe after college.

“So listen, AJ,” Chassis said, giggling. “Torque fucked up _torquing_ a Wagon Bug’s spark plugs yesterday. I mean, can you believe it? It’s his _namesake_. How do you shit the bed on that one?”

Applejack smirked as she removed her cigarette from her mouth. “Oh, yeah?”

“I didn’t know I was dealing with aluminum heads, okay?!” Torque snapped. “If I’d known they were aluminum, I would have hand ratched them instead!”

Chassis’ giggling turned into all out cackling as she leaned on her knees, her cigarette withering at the tip till ash dusted her dark work boots. “You… you used an impact wrench! Teach was screaming so loud they could hear it out to the _soccer fields!_ ”

Applejack chortled. She always could count on these two to take her mind off things.

“Aw, don’t beat yourself up too much, sugarcube,” she said to Torque with a wink. “Wagon Bugs are reliable, but a pain in the tush to fix up.”

“Fucking Germans.”

“Say what you will, but it’s a solid car.”

Torque exhaled smoke through his teeth in a hiss. “Y’know what else is solid? My _shit_.”

Chassis hummed, nudging Torque with a cat-like grin. “I, for one, plan on never letting you live it down!”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes and a sarcastic smile. “Thanks, pal.” He lifted his cigarette to his mouth, but paused, his face clearing as something caught his eye past Chassis. “Hey, you see what I’m seeing?” Torque asked, suddenly sitting up with interest. He tugged at the lapels of his work overalls and gingerly checked his gelled spiky hair.

“What?” Chassis said, turning to see what he was looking at.

“There’s this Betty walking this way, and she’s totally eyeing me!” Torque slouched in his seat, apparently trying to look nonchalant.

Chassis just stared at him dryly. “You know she just saw your panicked preening, right?”

“I’m not panicked,” Torque snapped, casting her a quick glare.

Applejack, who had only been half paying attention, finally lifted her head to see what the pair were talking about. She nearly dropped her cigarette, her eyes growing wide.

“Sunset Shimmer?”

Chassis and Torque looked at her in confusion.

“You know her?” Torque asked.

“Yeah,” Applejack murmured. She tilted her hat back on her head and lifted a hand in greeting as Sunset neared… but her posture slouched and her mouth turned down at the corners.

_Damn it. I’ve been caught…_ again.

Applejack was ashamed of her smoking, and she’d worked hard to keep it a secret, especially from her family. None of her friends had known until just three nights ago when Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle had caught her in a moment of weakness. Now Sunset knew too…

“Hello, Applejack,” Sunset said with a pleasant smile. She had on dark slim jeans that fit into tall black boots, topped with a soft orange shirt and one of her usual leather jackets. Nothing out of the ordinary...although…

_Her hair looks a mite on the wild side today._ Like AJ, Sunset rarely styled her hair differently, so the misbehaving locks and the touch of frizziness to her friend’s head was practically a dead giveaway to what had to have been a harried start to the day.

Applejack nodded at her. “‘Lo there, Sun.” She pursed her lips and held up the cigarette. “Cat’s out of the bag now I guess, huh?”

Sunset smirked. “Oh, what? About you _smoking?_ Puh-lease.” She waved a dismissive hand, her smirk morphing into a full smile. “I’ve known for months now.”

Applejack frowned. “How?”

Sunset’s smile curled as she pointed across the street to a set of tiered buildings past a large park area. “See those buildings there?”

“Yeah?”

“Those are the Science buildings.” Sunset crossed her arms and cocked a hip. “I could see you from the windows.”

Applejack blushed, flabbergasted she’d failed to account for this.

“I thought about coming over and saying hi more than once… but I always figured you wanted your space.”

Applejack looked at her with a pout. “And now?”

“Now…” Sunset stepped closer and held out a hand, her head tilting to the side. “I was wondering if you’d let me bum a cig?”

* * *

Applejack stared. "You smoke?" 

Sunset shrugged a shoulder. "Used to, when I was new here. Quit after I became friends with you and the others.”

The cowgirl seemed to need an extra moment to process this, then slowly she pulled out her cigarettes and held it out. Sunset delicately selected one from the pack. ( _Hmm! She likes Elk 100s. Not bad._ ) Then with practiced ease, she held it between her fingers.

She smirked. “Can you light me?”

Applejack blinked. “Uh…”

“I can—!” The young man at the picnic bench started to rise up, his hand jamming into his pocket, but his female friend pulled him back down roughly with a loud, _Shh!_

Applejack pulled out a lighter, but just as she held it out as if it give it to her friend, Sunset placed the cigarette between her lips and stepped closer.

When Sunset realized the mistake, she removed the cigarette from her mouth and held out her hand. “Whoops!” at the same time the other girl said—

“Shoot,” Applejack blushed and lifted the lighter. “Sorry. Lemme—” 

The pair froze, and Sunset’s cheeks burned a shade to match Applejack’s, her hand still held out.

AJ let the lighter dip a little, her eyebrow quirking. “Looks to me like we’re outta step!”

Sunset snickered. “Oookay. This doesn’t need to be complicated!” She returned the cigarette to her mouth and gestured at it meaningfully, her lips tugging upwards.

Applejack let out a single chuckle as she struck up the flame.

Sunset let the tip meet the heat, giving the cig a small drag to help the leaves ignite...and as she did so, her eyes caught something. Something on the inside of Applejack’s left wrist, previously concealed under her long rose pink sleeve.

_Are those… scars?_

Her brow furrowed, but she stepped back.

_Don’t assume. Maybe it’s a rash or something._

But she didn’t know of any rashes that came in the form of concentrated enflamed red circles with white raw centers… It didn’t even look like chicken pox.

Sunset Shimmer set the observation aside with effort. This wasn’t what she was here for. She just wanted to be a friend, not a counselor. It wasn’t like she had all the answers. This past weekend was a testament to that.

She grimaced a little as she took a long drag, the ease with which she picked up her old habit almost alarming.

_Okay, so maybe I was also just_ really _stressed out and wanted an easy fix._

Being with Applejack was a definite plus, though. Sunset had truly missed her. Since senior year of high school, they hadn’t had as many opportunities to talk much.

Sunset licked her lips, glancing furtively at her friend. The cowgirl was still looking at her expectantly, like she was waiting for Sunset to say something.

She did have something to ask, but she wanted to wait till she could get Applejack alone.

Instead, she asked, “So, you gonna introduce me to your friends?” Sunset Shimmer asked with a nod at the auto students at the picnic bench. 

Applejack jumped a little. “Shucks! M’sorry. Where are my manners?” She looked at the others. “Guys, this here is Sunset Shimmer. We been good friends since high school.” Returning her attention to Sunset, she pointed at the two automotive students with her cigarette hand, smoke trailing through the air. “This twitchy ol’ jackrabbit is Torque, and next to him is sweet lil’ Chassis. We bonded over mutual bad habits last year. Ain’t that right?”

“Yep!” Torque jumped up, his hand held out.

Sunset shook it with a small laugh. “Nice to meet you!”

The man leaned in with a smirk. “I fixed AJ’s truck up a bunch of times—”

“ _One_ time,” Applejack snorted.

“—So if you ever need help with something, lemme know!”

Chassis elbowed him out of the way. “Hi! Don’t mind him, his head gets fucky every time the opposite gender shows up.” When they shook hands, the blonde’s smile turned crooked. “Y’know, it’s really neat meeting you! I don’t think Applejack’s ever revealed much about her life before.”

Sunset mirrored the smile and leaned in. “Oooh, well I got some juicy stories for you if ya wanna hear?”

Applejack paled. “Now hold on a minute—!”

Chassis giggled, hopping on the spot. “Tell us, tell us!”

“Actually, AJ, you might like this one,” Sunset said after a quick drag. “Remember that time you wanted to take a Christmas card photo with all of our friends…?”

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they were all sitting together at the picnic table, lunches out.

Applejack had gotten halfway through a chicken sandwich. Sitting next to it was a container of apple turnovers. The food sat forgotten for the moment as Applejack wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “So… So then Sunset Shimmer says, ‘He was _not_ cute enough for five flights of stairs!’”

Sunset choked on the water she’d been drinking as Chassis and Torque laughed across from them. She wiped her chin, weak from giggles.

Applejack’s voice had become a thin breath fighting to be heard through her amusement. “The look on Rarity’s face! Priceless!”

Sunset waved her hands. “No, no, no! That’s not even the best part! Rares lifted her nose at me and said— ‘Neither was his big-eared roommate, but you still gave him your number, darling!’”

The four of them broke down into hoarse laughter, unable to say a word. Other students gazed at them curiously as they passed. Applejack pounded a fist on the table while Sunset leaned on her, trying to catch her breath.

“The worst of it was, I never _did_ get to use the bathroom!” Applejack said after their laughter eased. “I held it all the way back to Rarity’s all on account of the fact that those two bozos’ toilet was busted!”

Sunset nodded emphatically, one hand over her eyes. “After _five flights_ , they ended up admitting to us they used the bathroom at the pizza place across the street.”

“The fuck?” Torque chuckled. “Those guys were desperate!”

“Sounds familiar…” Chassis muttered next to him. He elbowed her.

“Rarity cited ‘health reasons’ for not letting me go back to the pizza joint’s bathroom.” Applejack shook her head. “Boy, I tell you, I was hollerin’ all the way back to her house! ‘Shame on me for wanting to protect you from tall, dark, and dimwitted!’ Who, by the way, was there to take a damn piss when we showed up!”

“I thought for sure you were going to punch him, AJ,” Sunset said.

“You shoulda!” Chassis chimed.

Applejack grinned. “I almost did! I mean heck, we were putting up with enough humoring Rarity’s latest goldarned love chase, but that horny jerk strung us along hoping for a quickie, and my bladder was fit to burst!”

Torque grinned and cut a side glance at Chassis. “Reminds me of this time when Chassis tried to hook up with this performance artist during Mardi Gra—-aaaaah!!”

Chassis, without looking at him, reached over, pinched his arm, and _twisted_. Through a tight smile, she said, “Say anything else, and I will _fucking_ fold you.”

Applejack snickered. “Careful Torque!” then, as a way of refocusing the conversation for Chassis’ sake, she said to Sunset Shimmer, “That was one heckuva night we had.”

Sunset leaned on the table with a smile. “But at least we got the pizzas!”

Applejack smirked, picking up her sandwich. “ _Cold_ pizzas. Rainbow Dash would not quit complaining.”

Sunset winced. “Drinking an entire bottle of wine kinda takes off the filter.”

“She _needed_ that filter,” Applejack added dryly. 

“To be fair, it was the one and _only_ time she ever did that.” 

Applejack shook her head with a frown. “Her hangover was somethin’ else!”

Sunset’s smile became muted as she looked at the others. “Rainbow was coming off a bad breakup. The sleepover was us trying to cheer her up.”

“Yeah, well… She got over it pretty quick,” Applejack muttered. Even as she said this, she felt a small spark of envy flare up in her chest. Rainbow Dash had dated a whirlwind of girls after Lightning Dust. She went through them so fast, Applejack gave up trying to remember their names.

She wondered what it was like, being able to find company so easily. Even cheap company.

Feeling her good humor flee her, Applejack went to take a bite of her sandwich… but stopped when she realized something. Sunset had no food. She hadn’t taken anything out since they’d sat down.

“Hey, you just waiting to eat, or…?” Applejack asked.

Sunset Shimmer waved a hand. “Nah, I usually eat later.”

“So you _do_ got food?”

“I’ll, uh, figure something out.”

Applejack could’ve just been imagining it, but the way Sunset said that didn’t sit well with her. Maybe it was the way Sun didn’t make eye contact. Maybe it was the lack of conviction in her voice.

The cowgirl looked at the sandwich gripped in her hands. Even just half of it was a decent meal to most people. She just had a big appetite. Once upon a time, though, she brought extra just to share with friends.

“Here,” she said, replacing her sandwich on its napkin and sliding it to Sunset. “Why don’t you have some of this? I didn’t bite it, yet.”

Sunset gave her a pursed smile. “Thanks, but I don’t eat meat.”

Applejack could feel her cheeks heat up as she slid the sandwich back. “Darn! That’s right, m’sorry.” She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at her food container. “Well how about my apple turnovers?”

Sunset shook her head. For some reason, her eyes grew large. “No, no! AJ, I couldn’t—”

“Sun, you ain’t fooling me. You look hungrier than a tick on a teddy bear! Come on, just have _one._ ” Applejack started to remove the lid on the container.

Sunset slouched. “Look, I don’t want to be a bother—!”

There was a loud, squelching growl. Everyone paused to look at a blushing Sunset as she slowly hugged her stomach.

Applejack smiled softly. “Thought so.” She pushed the container over. “Don’t trouble yourself, sugarcube. I’m happy to share with friends.”

* * *

Sunset mumbled her thanks as she picked up an apple turnover.

The truth was, she was _starving_. In a recent effort to save money, she had taken to only eating a full meal at dinner. Even her ‘breakfasts’ tended to consist of a snack with coffee. She thought she’d read somewhere that dinner was the _real_ important meal of the day, anyway. 

It wasn’t so bad, except for lunchtime. She’d hoped the cigarette would curb her hunger enough to carry her the rest of the day. All it had really done was make her want a full box of cigarettes.

But she didn’t want to seem desperate. Applejack was watching her as she ate her sandwich. Sunset took a small bite of the apple turnover and just managed to stifle down a groan. She couldn’t help the way her expression melted with relief, though. The next bite was bigger. The next bite was _sooner_.

Before long, the apple turnover was gone and she was reaching for another.

“Good?” Applejack asked with a little grin.

“Shut up, you _know_ they are,” Sunset answered with a pout.

Applejack chuckled.

“So Sunset, you seeing anybody?” Torque asked. He’d already finished his bowl of BBQ chicken and was reaching for another cigarette.

Chassis rolled her eyes next to him. “Oh go find a nice bush to nut into, ya randy big balled fuck!”

Torque held up hand. “What? Geez, I asked you and Applejack the same thing the first time we met!”

“Yeah, and I told ya to go sit on an air hose,” Applejack said with a cocked eyebrow. She looked at Sunset Shimmer. “Told ya he was a twitchy jackrabbit.”

Sunset smiled patiently. To Torque, she said, “I’m not really looking for a new boyfriend right now.” It was a truthful answer, even if it didn’t really address his question.

The others seemed content with it, though.

Torque sighed dramatically. “Oh well!” He pulled out a lighter and lit up the cigarette in his hand. After a long drag on it, he said with a smoky smile, “Well if ya ever change your mind!”

Sunset winked at him. “I’ll think about it.”

The thing was, she really would. He looked like just the sort who could stay detached if she asked him to. The real question was, could he keep a secret? She’d get to know him and see.

Experience told her that it was useful to keep such prospects in mind. Most she passed over, but sometimes...

* * *

They shared stories long after their meals were finished. Sunset’s favorite was perhaps when Chassis regaled her with a humorous anecdote of the time she lost an hour to a car trying to figure out why it was making a clunking noise, only to learn that the customer had a loose bowling ball in the trunk. 

A clocktower chimed once somewhere on campus. One o’ clock. Everyone gathered their things.

“Hey, it was nice meeting you, Sunset Shimmer!” Chassis said with a wave. She was backpedaling toward the auto center.

Torque simply nodded at her with a smile as he followed. Apparently his interest in her had cooled after learning she wasn’t ‘available’.

“I like them,” Sunset said as they walked away. “They’re funny.”

“I know they can get a little crass, but they’re good people.” Applejack shouldered her backpack. “They’ve actually calmed down a bunch. From what they tell me, they used to be wilder in high school.”

  


“I can believe it.” Sunset slipped her hands into her pockets. “Thanks again for the food.”

“Shucks, don’t worry about it.” Applejack pointed one way, then the other. “Um, where ya headed? We can walk together for a bit before I get to class.”

Sunset winced and thumbed behind her. “Back to the science building. That’s out of your way, right?”

Applejack shrugged. “S’fine. I got plenty of time.”

They left the picnic table and started up the sidewalk. Neither spoke for a while.

“So this is you checkin’ on me, huh?” Applejack eventually asked, looking at Sunset sidelong.

Sunset returned the look. “Kind of.”

“I’m telling ya, I’m gonna be fine.”

“I know you are.” Sunset looked at her seriously. “Because your friends are gonna be there for you, to help you through it.”

She received a wry grunt in response.

Sunset’s brow creased. “I mean it, Applejack. I want to be around more. I’ve been too caught up in my own life, and… I could’ve reached out.” She waved a hand at the approaching science building. “Heck, I saw you almost every day!” Looking lost. Looking alone. Looking like Sunset _felt_. “After this weekend with Pinkie, I’m not just going to hang back anymore! I want you to know that I’m around!”

“I _know_ you’re around. I know you _all_ are,” Applejack said through tight lips. Her eyes were searing. “Sometimes that’s the problem!”

Sunset flinched.

AJ let out a rough sigh. “Sunset Shimmer, I don’t mean to say it like I want you all to vanish. I only meant—”

Sunset chewed a corner of her lip as she watched Applejack’s eyes cast about in frustration.

“I only meant that sometimes I wish _I_ could vanish,” Applejack finished quietly. She tugged her hat low and looked away. “My cousin Braeburn got me this scholarship. I don’t want to squander it. But there are days when I just wanna quit and stay in my own little world.”

Applejack threw up a hand. “Running into the girls every once in a while is fine an’ all. Like today with you was really nice. But there are days when I catch sight of Rainbow Dash acting all high n’ mighty, or when I’m out in the quad and I see… _her._ ”

Sunset’s lips thinned. Fluttershy.

Applejack swallowed audibly and shook her head. “I can’t think of my friends without thinking about her too. Even that story we shared today… I _remember_ how she kept looking at Rainbow Dash that night, Sunset. Like she was caring for a wounded animal or something.”

“That’s why you volunteered to get the pizzas with us,” Sunset murmured. “We only needed two people to carry those boxes, but you wanted to come anyway.”

“I felt bad,” Applejack said with a little nod. “I knew Rainbow was really hurtin’. I felt like she was waiting for me to say something to her all night. ‘It’s gonna be okay.’ ‘You’re better off without her.’ ‘We’re best pals, and I’mma be _right here_ —’” Her words cracked.

Sunset felt her heart tighten as Applejack quickly put a hand to her mouth and ducked her head.

When the cowgirl looked up again, it was with an expression of cold control. “I didn’t say any of that to her. I watched her spiral, and I still kept quiet. Cuz’ all I could think was… _nothing’s stopping her from getting Fluttershy_ _now_.”

“Sometimes, it’s not easy being a friend,” Sunset whispered. Nervously, she reached out a hand and touched Applejack’s shoulder. It felt tight. “We can’t always be perfect.”

They slowed to a stop.

Applejack looked at her, the same cold expression on her face. “I wasn’t no friend. Not to Rainbow. It’s been like that ever since.” She bared her teeth and turned her back, leaving Sunset’s hand hanging in the air as she pulled away. “That’s my fault! I let my envy get the better of me!”

Sunset shook her head. “Applejack, you were in a tough situation! You _still_ are! And you know what? Rainbow thinks it’s _her_ fault. You’ve both got to see that the truth is somewhere more in the _middle_. It’s not on any one person.”

Applejack peeked at her from over her shoulder but said nothing.

Sunset approached her side. “I know that being with your friends is a mixed bag right now… but honestly… has being alone been any better?”

Applejack scowled and crossed her arms. Sunset tilted her head to the side. “Fine. Let’s do something easier. How much have _we_ hung out? Just you and me?”

“Not much,” Applejack admitted with a raised eyebrow.

“And how long have you known me?”

“Not as long as everybody else, I guess?”

Sunset gave her a slanted smile and shrugged one shoulder. “Would you say I come with a lot of baggage or complicated feelings?”

“Uh… no?”

Sunset laced her hands behind her back as she carefully stepped in front of Applejack. “In fact, of all of our friends, I’d say I’m probably the _least_ complicated person for you to see right now!” 

Applejack’s mouth turned down. “I think you been hanging’ out with Twilight too much.”

Sunset giggled and gave a broad smile. “Probably! But maybe before we bring all of our friends around again for Rarity’s insomnia cure, we can take baby steps and just hang out, the two of us?” She raised her eyebrows. “Cuz I really don’t wanna leave you alone while you go through this, AJ.”

Applejack screwed her mouth to the side as she stared hard. Eventually she rolled her eyes shut. “I mean, heck, sure… We can hang out more till then.”

Sunset thought her smile was at its biggest until she heard those words. Then her cheeks ached from how hard she beamed. “Great! How about we have lunch together from now on?”

“Sure, sure…”

Sunset took a breath. Now was as good a time as any to ask what she’d wanted to ask earlier. “Applejack, are you free Wednesday night?”

Applejack blinked at her. “Uh, maybe? Why?”

Sunset ran a nervous hand through her hair. “I was wondering if you’d come with me to blues night at this bar nearby? I know the bartender, so we can get in no problem.”

“Blues night?”

“Yeah. Have you listened to much blues?”

Applejack shook her head.

Sunset shrugged. “Well they do it twice a month at this bar, and it’s pretty cool. They always have a well-known blues artist come in and play their hits. I think this week they’re having Red Rooster play.” At Applejack’s persistent blank expression, Sunset started to speak faster, her skin heating up. “I, uh, could send you some tracks if you’re on the fence? I just thought it might be, y’know… cathartic for you?”

The cowgirl turned her eyes down to her boots.

Sunset swallowed and rubbed an arm. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine—”

“I’ll think about it, Sunset,” Applejack said. She didn’t lift her gaze.

Sunset nodded quickly. “Okay! I could send you some of Red Rooster’s songs. If you don’t want to do blues night, we could do something else. No biggie.” She smiled crookedly. “Honestly, I’m kind of just looking forward to the chance to get to know you better.”

Applejack fixed her with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” her voice was flat.

“Sure!” 

“I ain’t exactly a ray o’ sunshine right now, Sun.”

“Granted. But come on, think about it. We have a decent sized group of friends! We all have varying degrees of closeness, right?” She held up her hands and started ticking off fingers. “I’ve gotten to know Twilight and Pinkie really well. Rarity and Fluttershy are like two peas in a pod. You, Pinkie, and Rainbow, uh—” she felt her heart quicken as she tried to hasten past this sensitive subject, “I just mean that within every group, different connections are made. Sometimes, those connections are made _later_ , like for Pinkie and Rarity. After they got into the sorority together, they became like sisters! It’s textbook psychology!”

Applejack smirked. “Now I _know_ you been hanging out with Twilight too much.”

Sunset could feel her skin light on fire. “My point is that I want to get to know you better! Even...” her expression softened. “Even if you _are_ feeling down.”

Applejack’s brow tensed. After a long moment, she asked, “You said blues night was Wednesday?”

Sunset perked. “Yeah!”

The cowgirl took a deep breath. “All right. I’ll _try_ and go.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

Sunset grinned and started to backpedal toward her building. “Just have an open mind, okay?”

Applejack watched as she went. She seemed rooted to the spot. “What time is this thing, anyway?”

“It starts at eight.”

“Look, I might have to cancel on account of work, all right?”

Sunset bobbed her head, a little smile on her lips. “I mean, sure. But isn’t Rainbow coming to help you on Saturday? Maybe I could do the same this week! That way you can still come?”

Applejack’s eyes went wide like she hadn’t expected this response. “I, er, _suppose_ you could?”

Sunset winked. “Good! Then it’s settled.”

“N-Now wait a minute, it still ain’t no guarantee!”

“Mmm, hmm! Whatever you say, AJ!”

“I’m serious!” Then Applejack scowled at her suddenly. “And listen here, don’t you go buying more cigarettes! I don’t need you picking up that bad habit on account o’ me!”

“Yeeeah… ‘Bout that. I’ll _try_ not to!” Sunset batted her eyes sweetly.

Applejack crossed her arms, her gaze taking on a stern edge. “Sunset, I mean it!”

“Then come with me to blues night!” Sunset laughed. 

“Gosh darnit, woman—!”

Sunset spun around and took off at a brisk walk. “See ya, AJ!” she sang over her shoulder.

“ _Sunset Shimmer!_ ”

Sunset didn’t stop, her lips spreading wide in a smile.

She didn’t stop because she could hear the laughter breaking through Applejack’s stern voice.


	3. Opening up

****

**Continued from Chapter 31 of What They Expect to Give**

* * *

Sunset Shimmer had been waiting outside, hoping against all hope that Rainbow’s meeting wouldn’t turn into a nightmare. 

She listened to the radio. She didn’t even make it halfway through a song before nerves overtook her. After a furtive check to make sure Rainbow wasn’t coming, she exited the car and snuck in a cigarette from the fresh pack she’d bought earlier that day.

 _Sorry, AJ_ , she thought as she blew the smoke up into the air. _I couldn’t help myself. Anyway, I think tonight’s gonna be rough._

Lightning crashed, followed by great thunder. Sunset whistled as she looked up at the darkening sky. 

_Real rough._

When she was putting out her cigarette, that’s when she saw them exit the building...

Gold Fang and Capper.

Sunset’s heart skipped a beat and her skin flashed cold. Sprinkles of rain started to come down when Gold Fang’s eyes landed on her.

“Damn it…” she muttered as the two men approached. 

Gold Fang and Capper were with the Badlanders, a gang that served as an arm of the Trog-El Syndicate. Her eyes slid to Capper, who snuck an almost apologetic shrug behind Gold Fang’s back. She narrowed her gaze at him before regarding his older partner.

Gold Fang spread his arms wide. “Well if it ain’t my lil’ hotdog!”

She crossed her arms. “Leave me alone,” Sunset said flatly. 

“Now that ain’t no way to speak to a friend.” The older man’s lips puckered. “Shucks, it seems like you don’t appreciate all I’ve done for you now that you’ve moved up in the world!”

Sunset bared an overly sweet grin. “I’m sure Verko would _love_ to hear about your side deals with the Changelings, Fang.” 

Verko was the leader of the Badlanders and part of the Trog-El Syndicate’s head council. The Changelings, meanwhile, were the Badlanders’ biggest rivals within the syndicate. She’d seen Fang leaving Changeling territory more than once on his own. There was no reason for him to be there unless he was creeping behind his leader’s back.

Gold Fang’s smile waned. He gazed at her with murder in his gray eyes for a long beat, before spitting at her boots and flashing his fangs in a smile once again. She didn’t allow herself to react. The old thug couldn’t do anything to her. Not while she was in Grogar’s pocket.

“Sadly, I lack the time for a good chit chat,” Gold Fang said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He turned and went to a gold European convertible on the opposite side of the parking lot. “This hotdog’s a bit too _burnt_ today, anyhow.” He winked over his shoulder as he took out his car keys and spun them on a finger. “I’ll take a bite outta her another time.”

Capper lingered, however. He looked at Sunset with what looked like regret. “Sunny, I heard he called you in again…” he said. 

Grogar.

She looked at him coolly. “Yeah. He did.” 

She fished out another cigarette. Any more of this, and she’d be done with the pack before the night was through. “Still under Verko, huh, Capper? Gee, too bad. I guess your lil’ scheme didn’t work.” 

Sunset placed the cig in her mouth, but when she pulled out her lighter, she was annoyed to find it wouldn’t light. The wind kept snuffing out the flame. With a huff, she tried turning, but her wavy red locks lifted with the breeze and got in the way.

Capper cleared his throat and tapped her on the shoulder. Sunset turned with a glare to find the young man held out a lit flip lighter. She narrowed her eyes at him but leaned in to light her cigarette anyway.

“I didn’t mean for you to get dragged in deeper, Sunny,” Capper murmured, his eyes casting down. He put away his lighter but left his hand in his pocket as he shifted his weight to one foot. “I thought my plan would work out for _both_ of us…”

Sunset shrugged, blowing smoke out of the corner of her mouth. “Who's to say it didn’t?” She gestured up and down at his suit. “You got a promotion.” She gestured at herself. “And I’ve got Grogar’s ‘protection’.”

She made a face and puffed on her cigarette again. “For however long that lasts…”

Capper’s eyes tensed. “He doesn’t make you…? Y’know.”

“Sleep with him?” She rolled her eyes. “No.” 

_Thank Celestia, too!_

If it ever came to that, she could suffer it, she supposed. But her pride would be forever cut in half afterward. And if she fought? It would be a life and death struggle that would end with one of them dead, _and_ having likely exposed Equestrian magic to the world. A risk she couldn’t take. 

“He finds me strange and mysterious enough to be amusing,” she continued. “That’s all.” _At least, that’s how it started…_

Capper let out a breath. “Good.” 

He stepped closer, pulling off his fedora and revealing a carefully combed back tuft of thick indigo hair. He looked at her sorrowfully as he held his hat to his chest. “For what it’s worth… I _am_ sorry.” He tried to reach for her hand. 

She pulled it away, clenched tight in a fist.

“When you told Grogar about my arrangement with Verko, you spoiled any chance I had of getting out of this clean,” she hissed. “And I still kept that secret for you! I could have told Verko, but I never said a word!”

Nevermind that Grogar had specifically forbidden her from doing so upon threat of death. If she had still been her selfish self, she would have done it anyway. Just to see Capper suffer.

She took a long drag of her cigarette, then exhaled harshly. The acrimony that burned in her chest almost drove her to blow the smoke _in his face_. Old Sunset would have, and she felt that ghost a bit too keenly right now...

“If you were really sorry, you’d help me get away from it all…” Sunset cut a searing look at him from the corner of her eye. “But you won’t, will you?”

Capper slouched and ran a hand over his hair. He opened his mouth as if to speak—

Gold Fang’s car honked. They both looked, startled.

Sunset ashed her cigarette and glanced at Capper, her expression frigid. “Your partner’s waiting for you.”

Capper sighed and returned his hat to his head. He turned and walked away. Over his shoulder, he said, “I want to make this right. I just… don’t know how.”

Sunset watched as Gold Fang’s car backed out of its parking spot, then drove away. She watched them go with narrowed eyes, her displeasure lingering like her cigarette smoke.

Then the frosty anger thawed away, and she let her chin fall to her chest.

_Capper… I don’t know what to do either. I just fake it most of the time._

It was a difficult thing for her to admit because she’d put that past behind her, but she still had fond memories of the mischief she and Capper had gotten up to. They had survived together, when no one else cared about them, running scams and committing petty theft. 

It was even _his_ forgeries that had gotten her into school, to begin with.

But when she’d started her gold laundering arrangement with Verko, she’d left Capper behind. Her life ceased to be a day-to-day struggle to eat. She became a high schooler with her very own apartment.

Meanwhile, Capper wondered where he’d sleep every night. In her selfishness, she hadn’t thought to help him.

In the cut-throat world of criminal politics, using her to get into Grogar’s good graces must have seemed the only option for him. Payback too for abandoning him, maybe. Neither of them could have foreseen the long-lasting repercussions of his actions. 

She knew this. And still, the bitterness lingered. 

Sunset felt a little sorry. Capper’s situation had always been more desperate than hers, even when she’d first arrived in this world. Being a criminal was all that he knew. And she _had_ treated him poorly...

But his past betrayal still had a lasting impact on her life today. What stung about it was that she _knew_ he had a moral compass hidden beneath his criminal facade. The fact that he chose to ignore it to go in deeper with the Badlanders was evidence that he wasn’t really ready to change. He _still_ made excuses for himself.

She knew that kindness and forgiveness could be powerful in leading someone down a new path. She’d extended her hand to some of her worst enemies, guiding them out from the dark. But with Capper… her hand stayed at her side.

Sunset felt ashamed that she couldn’t see past her ongoing problems to let go of her lingering resentment. If anyone needed saving, it was Capper.

The wind whipped up. Sunset cursed when she realized her cigarette had gone out. She hunched her back to the gusts, trying to light it again. 

It was around this time that she got the texts from Fluttershy about a strange problem. Sunset was almost relieved for the distraction. After a quick exchange, they called each other.

When they talked on the phone, Sunset did her best to address her friend’s concerns, all the while shivering in the increasing winds as she finished her cigarette. The truth was, there wasn’t much she could do right then. She had every intention of following up, though.

Abnormally heightened senses? Yeah, that warranted looking into. And soon.

_Poor Flutters… I’ll call her again when her shift is through. Maybe we can get to the bottom of it tonight, even. That’d be good._

After her phone call, she did a quick internet search on her phone to make sure no weird events had happened in the area. Though she checked traditional news outlets, she focused more on social media and paranormal chat servers. 

Nothing.

_So maybe not another magical artifact… Gosh, I really hope it’s something simple!_

Still feeling antsy, she sent Applejack a music track to listen to—a blues song from Red Rooster, the musician they were going to hear play Wednesday night. She didn’t get an immediate reply, but Sunset reasoned Applejack was just too busy to text and shrugged it off.

She finished her cigarette, then returned to Rainbow’s car. The rain was starting to come down in earnest. 

A short time later, and Rainbow emerged, visibly upset. Sunset stiffened at the sight of her friend holding her head, her body wracked with sobs. 

The redhead practically stumbled to get out of the car, just as the sky unleashed a massive downpour...

* * *

Applejack was bone tired by supper and glad to be home. 

That was until Big Mac told her Apple Bloom had been suspended from school. Again.

Big Mac practically fled back to the orchard after seeing the look on Applejack’s face.

“What in tarnation is wrong with you?!” Applejack shouted at her younger sister. She stood in the middle of the living room, looming over Apple Bloom, her body coiled like she was about to tussle. “Do you have any idea what a damn _pickle_ you’ve put me in?”

Apple Bloom glowered up at her from the couch, an ice pack on her bruised cheek. Her lower lip was fat and split. No doubt she had bruises elsewhere too. Diamond Tiara may have been a rich girl, but she was meaner than a wet panther when push came to shove.

“She started it,” Apple Bloom muttered sullenly.

“ _I don’t care!_ ” Applejack hollered. “Principal Celestia can’t keep cutting you slack anymore! One more fight and you’re _expelled_ , Apple Bloom! Heck, you’re lucky Filthy Rich ain’t _pressing charges!_ ”

Applejack jabbed a finger into her chest. “I also just got through filing for guardianship for your fool head. What will the court think when they come here and find you _not in school_ on account of another one of your gol’darned _duck fits?_ ”

“It’s not my fault!” Apple Bloom shot back, her voice rising. “Diamond Tiara got mad because I spread around a GIF of her face-planting during cheerleading practice! She _sucker-punched_ me! I wasn’t gonna let ‘er get off easy!”

Applejack pulled her hat off her head and hid her reddening face with it.

_Just count slow… Reaaaal slow, AJ…_

After reaching a ten count, she lowered her hat and said with exaggerated calm. “So you thought… it’d be a swell idea… to go _antagonizing_ the girl... who we know... don’t play _fair?_ ” 

Despite Applejack’s efforts, her jaw tightened and so did her voice. “And then you thought… shoving Diamond Tiara’s face… into the lunch line’s _cream corn_ … would make it _all better?_ ”

Apple Bloom smirked. “Naw. _That_ was just _fun_.”

Applejack swatted her with her hat. “ _Hardheaded!_ That’s what you are!You could make a _preacher_ cuss!” She thrust a quaking finger at the stairs. “ _Git to your room!_ I better not see your _damn_ face for the rest of the _damn_ night!”

Apple Bloom pouted as she straightened her hair and walked with infuriating slow speed for the staircase.

Applejack jammed her hat back on her head and fidgeted on the spot, her arms first crossing, then going to her hips, then crossing again. 

When her sister was near the top of the stairs, she yelled next, “And if you think this week off from school is gonna be a walk in the park, you got another think coming! I’m putting your butt to _work,_ little lady!”

“Whatever,” she heard Apple Bloom mutter.

Applejack’s nostrils flared and she almost stormed after her sister when Granny Smith held up a hand. The cowgirl stopped, blinking down at her grandmother. She’d forgotten the older woman had been sitting there in the recliner all this time.

Granny peered up at her with a clarity Applejack hadn’t seen for a few weeks now. “Ye can’t get through to her like that, Applejack.”

She settled deep into her recliner, her bushy brows clashing. “When you an’ Mac told me you wanted to take over the farm and watch over your sister, I fought ya somethin’ awful.” Granny shook her head, her face tilting down. “But even I gotta admit, I can’t keep up no more…”

Applejack’s heart wrenched. She knelt by her grandmother, taking a wrinkly hand. “Aw, Granny, don’t say that! You still help plenty! We can’t do this without you!”

“Well, you’re a-gonna have to!” Granny Smith said sternly. She looked at Applejack with her orange eyes, faded with age. “And I’m tryin’ to tell ya that parenting is more’n just a firm hand! You gotta see that if yer meanin’ to take over!” 

Her expression softened and she patted her granddaughter’s wrist. “Teachin’ always works best when you got more love and patience in yer heart than anythin’ else. If you roll up on yer sister hootin’ and hollerin’... well, worst case, she shuts down on you. Best case, she learns the lesson but _resents_ you for it. It ain’t no way to raise a child, sugar cube.”

Applejack nodded slowly. Her anger still smoldered deep within her.

But under the guiding wisdom of her elder, she would try not to act on it.

As she stood to her feet and planted a soft kiss on her grandmother’s hair, Applejack knew that she needed time to cool down.

Maybe she’d drive to the ridge and watch the sunset. She hadn’t done that in a while.

Applejack grabbed her coat and put it on. As she went to get her keys from the kitchen counter, she paused a moment to check her phone for the time. That’s when she saw the text from Sunset Shimmer.

Curious, she opened it. It was a link to a Red Rooster song.

Applejack grabbed her keys. She tucked the phone into her pocket. She could listen to the song later. For now, she just needed to get _out_ of this house.

* * *

What a night…

What a _night!_

Sunset Shimmer practically speed-walked her way out of Freenote Library. 

_‘Thanks, Sunset’_

_‘Yes, thank you so much, Sunset!’_

How could they possibly be thanking her? She’d failed. Oh, maybe not _completely_. But she’d failed where it _counted_.

Rainbow Dash had almost lost control of her powers. Right _in front_ of her. Rainbow almost…

_Almost ended up like me._

Sunset could feel the tears prick her eyes, but she fought to keep them back. 

Self-pity would get her nowhere. She just needed to focus better. But in order to do that, she needed to think straight. The stress of the evening’s trials weighed on her. She had to calm down.

She knew one way to do that.

Sunset went through her throwaway phone’s contact list. Her eyes paused on Kojote’s name, but she shook her head and kept scrolling.

No, she wanted a softer touch tonight.

Then her eyes landed on a name.

Sherry Kiss.

_Perfect._

Sunset hit the green phone symbol and pressed the cell to her ear.

The call went to voicemail. Disappointed, but not discouraged, Sunset waited till she had gone back to her dorm to grab her cycling gear before trying again.

After a few rings, a woman answered. “Looking for some fun, huh?” she sounded amused.

“Up for it, Sherry?” Sunset asked as she left her dorm and made her way to the elevator. “Please say yes!”

“Oh! Begging! Haven’t heard that in a while.” Sherry laughed. It was a deep and rich sound.

Sunset allowed a small whine to enter into her voice as she hit the elevator call button. “Pretty pleeeease?”

She only did this for Sherry. The older woman seemed to like it when Sunset played the immature card.

“Hmmm... ”

Sunset rolled her eyes but smiled. Sherry liked to play games. If Sunset was being honest, it was a big reason they’d been partners for so long. The longest of any of Sunset’s partners, in fact. She _liked_ Sherry’s games. They were titillating and kept the mood light.

“Tell you what, hon,” Sherry purred. “Grab a pack of strawberries, and I’ll be happy to have you over.”

Sunset’s eyebrows lifted as the elevator arrived. “Strawberries?” Her lips curled up. “Now I’m curious.”

“Well, hurry up and get over here, and you won’t have to be curious anymore!” Sherry laughed again.

Sunset giggled as she stepped inside the open elevator. “Yes, ma’am!”

* * *

Upon the ridge overlooking the farm, you could see over the emerald hills and neighboring forests to enjoy the humbling view of the sun sinking below the horizon. The sky washed in cool colors, a radiant yellow fading into a tangy red, both warm hues being hungrily swallowed by the encroaching plum and midnight blue.

Applejack couldn’t help but feel moved by the view each time, almost to the point of feeling emotional. It was a heady mixture of relief for a day put behind her, but also the sinking dismay that _night_ was coming. 

She hated the night. Fears bled from the shadows, weighing her down. She’d been tempted to start her truck back up and drive back to the house so she could turn in early.

But Apple Bloom’s suspension still had her keyed up.

She supposed this plan of being up on the ridge had been ill-fated. Sunsets weren’t _relaxing_ for her. They just put her in a contemplative mood. Coupled with her frustration, the only thing she was contemplating was how _irritated_ she was with Apple Bloom.

And not just Apple Bloom, but Big Mac, too! He was always running off to leave her to deal with this sort of thing. This may not have bothered her as much if she felt like her brother could reliably do the farmwork he kept using as an excuse to escape!

Applejack sighed roughly and pulled her phone from her pocket. Sunset’s text message was still open.

Pursing her lips, the cowgirl clicked the song link.

_May as well. Not like I’m doing anything else but sitting here and tying my own tail into a knot!_

The music started. It opened with a twangy guitar playing a bluesy tune. Then Red Rooster’s voice slid in, a deep croon that made Applejack’s eyebrows lift. He had a very soulful voice.

_Little cuts get me_  
_They slice me up and down_  
_Little cuts get me_  
_Yeah man, them knives just go to town_

_Ask my granny why she out back_  
_She say she lookin for my daddy_  
_But daddy’s buried ‘neath the lilac_

Applejack’s sullen expression fell away, her eyes widening.

_Little cuts get me_  
_They slice me up and down_  
_Little cuts get me_  
_Yeah man, them knives don’t fuck around_

_Tell my brother the farm needs his hands_  
_He runs off for the racetrack_  
_Damn fool gets shot in the stands_

Applejack’s jaw tightened. Her eyes burned fiercely. Soon her vision blurred.

_Little cuts get me_  
_They slice me up and down_  
_Little cuts get me_  
_Yeah man, they keep whittlin’ down_

_Dear sister get beat by her man_  
_I tell ‘er come on home_  
_She says she can’t leave again_

_Little cuts get me_  
_They slice me up and down_  
_Little cuts get me_  
_Yeah man, my blood’s all on the ground_

_Life is a butcher and it’s quartered me_  
_My flesh got a heavy price_  
_Please take my heart and set me free_

A tear slipped from Applejack’s eye and she leaned on her car door, one hand covering her mouth. Red Rooster’s song continued for a moment longer, the mournful melody fading to nothing. More tears slipped free.

She sat in silence for a time, watching the sun sink lower into the horizon. The dark cast over her, and it felt… different. She didn’t know how to put it. 

Applejack still disliked the darkness. But it felt more familiar somehow. Bearable, maybe.

She picked up her phone and searched for more songs by Red Rooster.

* * *

It was getting late, and Sunset was full off of strawberries and chocolate. Washing the sweet syrup off her skin hadn’t been too much of a chore with such lovely company to help her, but still… she was getting tired. Sunset eyed the clock on the wall as she felt Sherry run a finger down her bare side.

“I know that look in your eye,” Sherry murmured. “You running off again?”

Sunset turned her head to see the older woman. Sherry was black, with tight natural curls that smelled lightly of coconut. Her lush expressive mouth was tweaked into a wry smile, and her dark eyes held warmth.

Sunset pouted. “I can’t stay over _every_ time, Sherry. I have school in the morning, y’know.”

“So?” Sherry kissed Sunset’s shoulder. Her lips were cool and moist. “Stay the night. Leave early. Ain’t that hard.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Says the bartender with little to no responsibilities…”

Sherry smacked Sunset’s butt, making the redhead squeal out, “Hey!”

“You complicate shit, little girl,” Sherry said with feigned sternness. Her eyebrow lifted. “Maybe strawberries and chocolate were too generous. Seems like you needed a good whupping!”

Sunset shifted over onto her back, her hand reaching up to caress Sherry’s generous breasts her thumb gliding over a soft chocolatey nipple. Her eyes turned lidded. Maybe she wasn’t so tired, after all…?

“Sorry. I really liked the food play. It’s just…” Sunset sighed, her brow tightening. “My roommate is going through some stuff, and I don’t want to leave her alone.”

Sherry’s expression turned gentle. She placed a finger beneath Sunset’s chin, lifting the girl’s eyes off her ample chest, and shook her head. “So that’s it. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Sunset bit her lip and turned her head away.

They weren’t just lovers. They were friends _and_ lovers. But the friendship had come slowly, over time, built on a growing foundation of mutual respect. The trust was… still growing. That was mostly on Sunset. Sherry had been rather open from the start.

Sunset didn’t know why she couldn’t share more. She _liked_ that Sherry cared. If there was ever a partner she could ease up around, it was this woman. 

It wasn’t even fear of being dragged into commitment. Sherry had already demonstrated that she wasn’t interested in a dedicated relationship. She saw other women all the time. Like she’d done with Sunset, she picked them up at various bartending gigs.

Maybe it was Sunset’s powers that had her nervous to share. Maybe it was the danger that followed Sunset around.

Or maybe Sunset just liked having an easy escape.

Sunset sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed. “It wasn’t really my place to say anything. There’s just some stuff I can’t share.”

“Mm-hmm. Heard that before.” Sherry shifted on the bed, and Sunset turned to see her friend scooted to rest her back on the headboard. “You realize I ain’t never gonna step foot on your campus, right? What does it hurt to tell me some of the gossips?”

Sherry chuckled. “I mean, who am I gonna tell? My sixty-year-old boss? He only cares about his money and his erectile dysfunction!”

Sunset smirked. “And your co-workers?”

Sherry winked and pushed up her jiggly breasts. “Too distracted by these, baby. Not a word ever stays in those boys’ heads.”

Sunset leaned toward the woman, her smirk widening. “You could tell your sister.”

“Ha!” Sherry waved a dismissive hand. “Croline never lets me get a word in edge-wise. If she ain’t neck-deep in cooking and cleaning, then she spouting off about her five kids.”

“And asking why you haven’t had any yourself yet?” Sunset asked with a snicker.

Sherry sucked at her teeth and crossed her arms sassily. “ _Yes_. You _know_ she does!”

Sunset hummed low as she turned and crawled seductively toward the other woman. “And do you tell her _why_ you don’t have kids…?”

Sherry licked her lips slowly as she cupped Sunset’s humble breasts. “I tell her I can’t stop messing around with young things like you,” the woman murmured silkily.

Sunset slipped in close and kissed Sherry’s neck, then her collarbone. She was starting to travel further down to those mouthwatering tits when her cellphone buzzed on the bedside table.

Sunset raised her head, surprised.

Sherry pouted. “Is that important?”

“I think so.” Sunset winced and slid back to the edge of the bed. “Sorry. One sec.”

Sherry sighed. “Mm-hmm…”

When Sunset unlocked her phone, she was surprised once again to see that it wasn’t Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy who had texted her, but Applejack.

Sunset opened the message.

**> AJ: are u awake? Sorry. I’m havin trouble sleepin.**

Sunset tapped back a quick reply.

**> SSh: no prob, i’m awake. u okay? Anything on ur mind?**

There was a short wait, then—

**> AJ: No.**

Sunset’s eyebrow tilted up.

As if sensing her skepticism, Applejack quickly chased that with—

 **> AJ:** **Yes.**

Then the cowgirl sent a neutral face emoji. Sunset smiled sympathetically. 

Yeah. Opening up was hard.

That’s why she knew she couldn’t let this admission go unrewarded.

She stood up and cast Sherry a look of apology. “I should probably head out.”

“Someone needs saving, huh?” Sherry said with a half-grin.

Sunset held up her hands and tilted her head. _What’re ya gonna do? It happens,_ her expression said.

Sherry chuckled. “All right, baby. Don’t leave ‘em waiting too long.”

* * *

By the time Sunset had dressed and left Sherry’s apartment, it was half-past eleven. Applejack must have been in dire straits to be awake so late. Her friend usually turned in early.

Sunset didn’t wait to drive back to the dorm. She stood by her motorcycle on the sidewalk and called. The phone rang only rang once before Applejack answered.

“M’sorry,” AJ said immediately. Her voice sounded tired and low like her heart had sunk to the bottom of a deep cold lake. “I wasn’t tryin’ to disturb you.”

Sunset shook her head adamantly, though her friend couldn’t see it. “No! AJ, I’m glad you called. You have nothing to apologize for.” Her voice lightened with hope. Maybe she’d only have to ask once, directly? “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

There was a long pause. Sunset waited patiently, her eyes on the starry sky. The storm clouds had cleared out some time ago, it seemed.

“I checked out that Red Rooster song you sent me,” Applejack said suddenly.

Sunset sighed inwardly at the dodge. Not because she was irritated, but because she worried. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were not so unalike when it came to diving into their feelings. They both tended to wait until the last minute when it was eating them alive to open up.

Rather than call her friend out, Sunset went along with it. There was still a chance. “What did you think of it? He’s pretty good, right?”

“Better than good! That fella can sing!”

Sunset let out a relieved breath. “Good! I’m glad you liked him.”

“Shoot, I can’t stop listening to him! I think I’ve been through almost his whole catalog.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yep! That’s what I’ve been doin’ this whole time. Just sittin’ on the ridge in my truck and letting Red Rooster sing my life story.”

Sunset winced. “I was hoping it would be cathartic for you, but if it’s made you feel worse—”

“Worse?” Applejack laughed, but the sound was rough. “Sunset, right now I feel like someone _gets it_. I wasn’t too sure of it before, but I wanna see this man. For real.”

Sunset chewed her lip and leaned against the seat of her bike. She tried again. “You don’t sound too good, though, Applejack.”

Another long pause. Sunset was about to bring the topic back to the music when the cowgirl spoke up.

“Apple Bloom got suspended from school for a week for fighting.” The words came out clipped.

Sunset’s mouth dropped. “Woah! What happened?”

The line distorted as Applejack sighed over the receiver. “Just another chapter in the long feud ‘tween my sister and Diamond Tiara. This ain’t her first suspension on account o’ this.”

“And how does Apple Bloom feel about it?”

“She _swears_ she’s innocent. Self-defense and all. Heck, I think she’s even a little _pleased_ with herself.” Applejack’s voice took on a bitter edge. “The whole dang thing started on account of Apple Bloom putting out an embarrassing picture of Diamond Tiara. And, I mean, _yeah._ Tiara ambushed her, but she wouldn’ta if my little sister would quit poking the damn bear!”

Sunset shook her head, her eyebrows pushing up and together. “Aw, Applejack, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.”

“What gets me madder than a wet hen is that Apple Bloom don’t seem to care! Sunset, my sister is close to gettin’ _expelled,_ and I just put in the guardianship papers for her! This has just been gettin’ worse and worse!”

Sunset covered her face with one hand. “Oh no…”

“Exactly!”

“Did the court tell you when they’re gonna visit your house?”

“Not yet.” Applejack’s voice returned to its weary tones, every word aching with a kind of battered exhaustion that made Sunset wince. “They’ll be sending me a letter about it soon, I wager. If we’re lucky, they’ll come after Apple Bloom’s back at school. Then all I’ll have to worry about is Big Mac and his worthless drinkin’.”

Sunset didn’t know what to do. Didn’t quite know what to _say_. Big Mac had a drinking problem? Apple Bloom was getting violent at school? All of this on top of poor Granny Smith’s declining health?!

“You’re dealing with a lot,” Sunset said quietly, then cursed herself for how insipid that sounded. Of _course,_ Applejack was dealing with a lot. What she’d meant to say was, “I had no idea. I’m so sorry you’ve been struggling all alone, AJ.”

There was a dark chuckle on the other line. “It’s okay, sugar cube,” Applejack murmured. “I ain’t told nobody a thing till now.”

Sunset bit her lip. She thought about the strange marks on Applejack’s wrist. She opened her mouth, wondering if this was the time to ask.

Then she said, “Why me?”

The question surprised her. But the moment it left her lips, she found she really did want to know. Of all their friends… why would Applejack trust _her_ with something she’d been concealing for so long?

“Because…” Applejack trailed off. Sunset waited, feeling her heart speed up for some reason.

“Because you noticed,” Applejack said finally.

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. What a painful thing to hear. Had their group really failed the cowgirl so badly? How could no one have noticed the depth of Applejack’s struggles? Even assuming that it had to do with her unrequited love for Fluttershy, surely _someone_ would have realized it was more than just _that?_

“You’re my friend, and I trust you, Sunset,” Applejack continued. “And… I dunno. Maybe I thought you’d have the answers again.” Another dark chuckle. “Foolish, I know. S’not like you know how to raise a teenager any more’n I do.”

Sunset rubbed at her forehead. What Applejack said was true… but she still felt like she was failing her friend somehow. Why couldn’t she be _better?_ “I wish I could be more helpful to you.”

“Oh, well I didn’t say you _weren’t_ helping!” Applejack replied a little more brightly.

Now Sunset blinked. “Really? How did I help?”

“Well, calling me and listening to me carry on, for one thing. I forgot how nice it is just to get things off my chest!” 

Sunset thought she heard a smile in Applejack’s voice when she continued. “And for another thing, that music you sent me… Sunset, it’s true that it doesn’t make me feel _happy_ , but it sure does make me feel less alone. It takes some of the sting out, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Sunset murmured, her gaze drifting down the quiet road. Any minute now a car would go barreling by, no doubt over the speed limit and blasting music on high, but right now… Right now the street felt peaceful.

She’d listened to Red Rooster’s music a great deal. She knew what it was like to feel carried forward by the painful lyrics and mournful melodies until a fragile peace not unlike the one surrounding her had been achieved. 

What she liked about Rooster’s music was that it soothed, but it didn’t coddle. Life would send a loud speeding car down her proverbial quiet road any minute, over and over, till the day she died. Or maybe a large bill would end her peace. Or a bad lover. Or a new magical foe.

The bottom line was—life is a struggle, and you never stopped struggling.

Though she’d never met him, it felt nice to think that Red Rooster could understand this.

It felt even nicer that _Applejack_ could understand.

“So what other songs did you like,” Sunset asked, her lips curling up.

Applejack hummed. “Shucks, which one do I pick? I got a real kick out of the bassline in _My Baby’s Sugar._ I bet I could play it if I could find the tabs _—_!”

And they just kept talking like that, deep into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna sit on this for more editing, but then I said screw it. Sorry if there are mistakes.
> 
> I haven't come up with the music for Red Rooster's song yet, but I might try! I'll update with a song link here if I do. It will likely sound different from a blues song--I'm not skilled enough with my ukulele to pull of blues chords quite yet! If anyone feels game enough to try it for themselves, then please do.


End file.
